


baby please (come home)

by LNC



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Identity Reveal, ML Secret Santa 2k19, daily plagg, ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22044751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LNC/pseuds/LNC
Summary: It’s the first Christmas after Hawkmoth’s defeat and Adrien is struggling without his lady.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 55
Kudos: 751





	baby please (come home)

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ML Secret Santa gift for @dailyplagg on tumblr. I hope you like it!

The words _bah humbug_ never had a place in Adrien’s vocabulary. But as he hit the snooze on yet _another_ alarm he felt he was as close as he ever would be to sympathizing with its originator.

Ebenezer Scrooge had nothing on him.

Adrien didn’t need corporeal manifestations of the past to haunt him into the holiday spirit. He had enough ghosts hanging around as it was. His father’s empty house, his father’s empty chair. He was used to missing his mother this time of year but burying her in the spring reopened old wounds.

Reporters stopped calling months ago but Adrien still saw the occasional photographer in the bushes across the street. No amount of quiet menacing from the Gorilla could keep them all away but then again who could resist the tragic son of a convicted terrorist?

Not the tabloids. 

The first few weeks were the worst.

The shock, the pity, the speculation. 

The trial.

Adrien didn’t think he would ever be able to explain just exactly how it felt to testify against his father, not once, but twice. The press was quick to point out how somber Chat Noir was in those days, unable to muster a smile even for his lady.

His lady. 

_Hah_.

His third and final ghost sat like a weight on his chest, an ache in his hand, a phantom limb. She’d never understood why Hawkmoth’s reveal had rattled Chat Noir as much as it had, but she’d rarely spent a night away from him in the beginning. His days were filled dodging reporters and hiding out with well meaning friends like Nino and Kagami and Marinette while his evenings were spent racing across rooftops with his partner who didn’t know his reasons but knew his hurt.

Until she left.

“Just for the semester,” She’d assured him, quickly taking his hand in her own as they ignored the city laid out before them in favor of each other’s eyes. It had been that way for a while now, long enough for Adrien to hope that maybe his lady was finally _his_ lady. A fledgling desire that was quashed the instant she told him she was leaving.

“I have an opportunity… I can’t turn it down.”

Adrien understood. He did. Even if his heart didn’t quite believe her when she said,

“I’m _not_ abandoning you.”

But the last thing he wanted to do was hold her back. Wherever it was Ladybug was going, whatever it was that was taking her away from him, well, she deserved it. Paris was safe now. He knew she was in university like him. She couldn’t keep her life on hold forever.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t miss her.

Some nights he’d wonder where she’d gone, who she was seeing, what she was doing. If she were happy, if she would stay. 

If she were thinking of him. 

Those last thoughts sent him into a melancholy spiral that even Plagg couldn’t pull him out of.

And as the days turned into weeks into months, he found himself sinking further into his despair. His therapist, an Alya-Nino-Marinette intervention insistence, told him it was only natural to feel low as the holidays drew near.

“After all,” She’d said, fixing him with the best earnest, non-judgemental glare money could buy. “You’re coming up on some big anniversaries.”

The happiest time of year indeed.

Sighing, he snuggled deeper beneath his covers, ignoring his alarm as it once again filled the room. Plagg would take care of it when he was irritated enough- right now Adrien couldn’t muster up the energy to reach across the bed.

Maybe he should just skip the party tonight.

Even as that tempting thought crossed his mind he knew it was a nonstarter. Nino would skin him alive if he bothered sending the _sorry bro i’m just not up for it_ text he was already mentally drafting.

“It won’t be the same without you,” His friend had said when Adrien tried to reject the initial invitation. “Don’t bail on us at Christmas. Between you and Marinette the group has been pretty small lately.”

Nino wasn’t wrong.

Audrey Bourgeois had offered Marinette another opportunity to intern with her in New York and this time she’d accepted. It had been tough, missing not just one but two of his closest friends these last few months. But Marinette had been in constant contact through group chats, instagram, and on one particularly rough night three weeks back, a two hour long phone call to talk him down from a panic attack.

At the time she was the only one who would answer her phone but in the end Adrien found she was exactly who he’d needed to talk him down. He’d panicked later, texting her apology after apology, but her long string of emojis and all caps insistence that that’s what she was there for went a long way to easing his guilt. Still, he was dying to thank her in person.

But Marinette wasn’t due back in Paris until after the New Year. Making it that much harder for Adrien to drag himself out of bed and into the shower so he wouldn’t be late.

“Do I even _need_ to shower, Plagg?”

His kwami gave him a sniff.

“You smell great to me.”

_A shower it is._

Groaning Adrien rolled himself to his feet and shuffled off to the bathroom. If he hurried he could still meet Nino at Alya’s place before they left for the bar.

It was hard to leave once he got there though and he found himself lingering under the hot water. If he hadn’t given the Gorilla the week off he might have asked him to drive him over but as it was his best bet was probably taking a cab. Bribing Plagg to transform was always an option but with Ladybug out of the city Chat Noir was making fewer and fewer appearances. Transforming tonight was guaranteed to attract attention, which was the last thing he wanted these days.

Resigning himself to a cab and a stranger’s curious stares, Adrien stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. At this rate he was going to have to meet his friends at the party. He stepped out of the bathroom to grab his phone and update Nino only to stop short.

Ladybug was sitting on the edge of his bed. She was kicking her feet together, agitated, as she stared down at her fidgeting hands. Her hair was longer and pulled into a ponytail but she was otherwise the same as he’d last seen her yoyoing off into the fading summer sunset.

Something like a whine escaped his throat and her head snapped up.

“Adrien!” She squeaked, jumping to her feet. “I– you– _oh_.” Ladybug’s face flushed pink and her eyes roamed over him once, twice, before resting firmly on his forehead. “Your w-window was open so I…” She gave a jerky wave. Adrien glanced towards his windows and then back to her, not entirely believing she was actually here.

“ _Lady-_ bug?” He said, voice cracking on the second syllable. Her eyes, blue and familiar and dear, flicked down to his. She bit her lip, a nervous habit he didn’t know he missed, and nodded.

Something tight and painful eased in his chest.

“I thought you left Paris.”

Ladybug’s smile was too sad, eyes too knowing when she said 

“I came back early.”

“Oh.” His hand found the back of his neck and he gripped it tight to keep himself from reaching towards her. “When…?”

“My plane got in an hour ago.”

“I see.” He said, not seeing at all. _How heres_ and _why mes_ flooded his thoughts but before he could even begin to give them voice Ladybug shifted, averting her gaze away from his.

“I didn’t mean to catch you at a bad time.”

It took him another moment to realize he was still wrapped only in a towel. Adrien yelped and crossed his arms over his chest only to scramble back to grip the towel again as it threatened to slip down his hips.

 _Oh god this isn’t happening_.

“I– can I have a moment?”

Ladybug nodded, eyes focused somewhere above his head, and Adrien rushed to his closet to pull on the first set of clothes he could find. It wasn’t until he was already running back to her that he realized he’d pulled on the red and black Christmas sweater Nino bought for him as a joke. The sweater was a monstrosity that read _Jingle Bug_ in bright gold letters with every black spot adorned with a matching gold bell. Adrien loved it when he unwrapped it but wearing it for his friends and wearing it for his lady were two entirely different things.

Horror filled him as he jingled back to her. 

Ladybug’s lips twitched.

“Please don’t,” Adrien groaned, running his hands through his hair. “It was a gift from a friend.”

She giggled, shoulders shaking with poorly suppressed laughter and even though it was at his expense, Adrien’s heart flipped at the sound.

How many months had it been since he’d heard her laugh?

“I missed that,” He said, smiling softly.

Ladybug’s eyes sparkled in the overhead lights as she met his smile with her own. It wasn’t until the silence stretched between them that he realized there was something wrong with this picture.

“What– um,” He coughed, blushed. Tried again. “What are you doing here?”

Ladybug’s smile fell and he rushed on.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you. Because I am. Happy, that is. But, um… why...” _me_? He swallowed. “Why here?”

It’s not like they’d never spoken before. Adrien found himself caught up in several akuma attacks over the years, unable to transform and rescued by his lady. And even after his father… well, _after_ , Ladybug made it a point to stop by every once and a while to check on him. More so in the early days, when the press and police and speculation about his own possible involvement in Hawkmoth’s schemes were under scrutiny, but still. It wasn’t completely out of the question that she would drop in on a random evening.

Just not like tonight.

Even in his wildest daydreams, he couldn’t delude himself into thinking _Adrien Agreste_ was so important to Ladybug that she’d be his first stop on her return to Paris. Not before checking in with friends and family. Not before checking in with _Chat_.

Adrien’s heart beat an unsteady tattoo as he searched his partner’s face. Ladybug’s eyes were soft, her smile kind as she reached forward and took his hand in hers.

“I heard you needed me.”

 _Always_.

The word, fierce and quick, stuck in his throat. It’s what he wanted to say. It’s what _Chat Noir_ would say.

Adrien could only tremble as she entwined their fingers together.

“I’m just sorry it took me so long to get here.”

“My–” He stopped, his hand squeezing hers tight. Her figure blurred behind the tears in his eyes and he was horrified to find some had already escaped down his cheeks.

Ladybug reached forward to cup his cheek with her free hand, thumb brushing away his tears, her spandex cool against his heated skin.

“It’s okay, _chaton_ ,” She whispered and even as the words left her mouth Adrien found himself collapsing into her arms, clutching and pulling and holding her to him. His shoulders shook with sobs and he buried his face into her neck, relief and joy and exhaustion overwhelming him.

Ladybug’s knees buckled beneath their combined weight and Adrien sank with her to the ground. Arms clasped tight around her waist he planted frantic kisses across her cheek, her ears, her forehead until they were both reduced to a teary, giggling mess.

“Silly kitty,” She murmured when he’d finally calmed down enough to pull away from her. Adrien’s ribs felt tight around his chest at her sweet smile. She tapped his nose, once, twice and shook her head. “I told you I’d come back.”

“How though?” He stared at her, his beautiful, wonderful Ladybug. “How did you know?”

“You told me.”

“What?”

She blushed and made to push herself away from him but Adrien held her tight.

“My lady,” He coaxed, pulling her closer and rubbing soothing circles across her back.

“You, um, you called me.” Her eyes flicked to and away from his. Adrien buried his face in her hair. “T-three weeks ago. You were kind of upset and let some things… some _Chat_ things... slip and I… put it together.”

Adrien’s hands didn’t stop their movement even as realization crashed over him. Three weeks back and a panic attack he couldn’t control. A late night phone call with one of his dearest friends, abroad for an internship and absent for the last few months. Incoherent rambling about his father, the press, his lady.

The breath fell out of him and his grip on the stiff woman in his lap tightened all the more.

“Marinette,” He breathed. Slowly, realizing he wasn’t about to push her away, she returned the embrace.

“ _Marinette_.” He said, again, for the joy of it.

“Adrien.” Ladybug, _Marinette_ , said and he could hear the smile in her voice.

Not wanting to miss seeing the real thing, he pulled back and grinned in return.

“You’re home.”

“Yeah, kitty.” She murmured, shyly playing with the bells of his sweater. “I’m home.”


End file.
